History and Theory, Bezalel //Issue No. 4 - The Ides of April, Spring 2007The Violence in the Constitution of the OriginMati Shemoelof

The topic of the article is the link between identity and memory in the art-exhibition of artist Eli Petel “Ha’Teva Ha’Mekory” (The Original Nature), and the new space the exhibition creates at the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion of Tel-Aviv Museum of Art. The article examines the formation of a renewed identity, as expressed trough social process the artist experiences on the individual and collective level, from an inter-generational prism.
The art of Eli Petel can be interpreted as exposing social power-relations, or as struggling against its interpellation as a part of the historically-rooted Jewish chain of signals. The article reveals both the artist’s view on societal changes as well as his internal identification processes which, on the one hand, correspond with the same changes, but on the other refuse to form a coherent political stand.

See the full article in Hebrew

About the Author
:Acquired his B.A from Tel-Aviv University at the Theater Department, majoring in creative writing. Completed his master studies (M.A.) at the History Department of Haifa University. Wrote his thesis on the cultural meaning of Spike’s Lee’s film (1992) ‘Malcolm-X’. Currently doing a PhD at the Hebrew Literature Department of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he conducts a research on the rise of intellectuals at the start of the twentieth century in the “Yeshuv” – The community of Zionist immigrants. Published two poetry books: “Megamed Ha’Zalakot”(2001), “Poetry between Hazaz and Shemoelof” (2006). Currently works as a co-editor of “Ha’Kivun Mizrach” journal.